Classes and Workshops

Note: All listings on this page reflect Pacific Time. Unless noted otherwise, classes are held virtually via Zoom.

Class Spotlight

NEW Required class for all managers: GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers is part 2 in the training series on manager and employee performance conversations. Sign up now to reserve your spot. Several times and days available.

Leading Across Difference | Friday, May 10: This is a 2-session training experience focusing on disrupting racial bias and anti-blackness, increasing awareness of institutional, structural, and systemic inequity through race, and applying this information to increase leadership skills at all levels. Leaders will examine the ways in which their own biases have a huge structural impact while engaging in discussions and that will shed light on leadership growth areas.

Design Thinking to Focus, Collaborate, and Play | Wednesday, May 22: Learn the key aspects of design thinking, including working with stakeholders to co-create innovative solutions; participate in a design challenge with colleagues; and learn valuable tips and techniques for collaborating and problem-solving in the workplace and beyond.

STEP Deadlines & Resources

STEP learning resources | Performance appraisal learning resources | STEP learning resources and documents

Watch the short STEP overview video

FY2024-2025 “Define Criteria” phase.

April 1, 2024 – Initiate the “DEFINE CRITERIA” phase for the FY2024-25 performance year. You and your employees begin the FY2024-2025 performance cycle by setting new 2024-2025 goals and objectives as well as continuing goals. Record them using the documents available in the STEP platform.
May 31, 2024 – Complete and record the “DEFINE CRITERIA” phase into the STEP platform.

Download the STEP Guidebook for step by step instructions.

Contact step@ucop.edu for all questions or attend one of the available STEP office hours below:

May 10, 10-11
May 17, 9-10

Zoom link for all sessions: https://UCOP.zoom.us/j/5109879810 (advanced registration is not required)

Having Technical Issues with STEP? Review this FAQ

Upcoming Classes and Workshops

Featured

Burnout Prevention

Online : Wednesday, May 8, 1:00 - 1:45pm

Escape from persistent burnout is within reach! Begin by recognizing the signs, taking proactive steps, and embracing mental wellness exercises to cultivate a joyful and healthier environment. Join our webinar to discover the path to a brighter, more balanced life.

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers

Online : Thursday, May 9, 9:30am - 12:00pm

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers is the second part in the live training series on manager and employee performance conversations. This training answers the question: What do I do when my coaching is not improving performance? In this virtual, live, and highly interactive workshop, we will cover providing productive critical feedback, managing emotions, creating efficient documentation, and holding effective accountability conversations. Managers will also practice having role Accountability Conversations using the UCOP GROW Plus framework. The previous STEP trainings are all prerequisites to this course.

Additional Sessions:

Thursday, May 23 (9:30am-12pm PT)
Thursday, May 30 (9:30am-12pm PT)

Stretch 'n De-Stress

Online : Friday, May 10, 8:30 - 9:00am

Stretch your body and de-stress your mind with this meditative practice. This is a class designed to help stretch the muscles, release stress, and focus on calming the mind, blending stretches and deep breathing for a rejuvenating exercise.

*Occurring every Friday until May 31

Leading Across Difference: Understanding Self, Understanding Leadership

Online : Friday, May 10, 10:00am - 12:00pm

This is a 2-session training experience focusing on disrupting racial bias and anti-blackness, increasing awareness of institutional, structural, and systemic inequity through race, and applying this information to increase leadership skills at all levels. Leaders will examine the ways in which their own biases have a huge structural impact while engaging in discussions and that will shed light on leadership growth areas. This training is based on the facilitator’s Authentic Leadership model which moves participants from theoretical concepts to context-driven practice; to that end, leaders will be challenged to implement systemic and leadership change within their context as a concrete deliverable. Given the transformative, sensitive, and often painful content around racism, this training embeds facilitative social-emotional best practices to create a supportive environment. Participants will:

Build a foundational understanding of historical and social foundations of structural racism and anti-blackness in America.
Increase leadership skills towards improved relational outcomes with colleagues and direct reports.
Grapple with the question: “Who do I need to become to radically shift my leadership?”
Create a learning community of leaders better equipped to transform workplace culture.

Participants must attend both sessions from 10am-12pm PT on Friday, May 10 and 17 to receive credit for the course.

UCOP Safety: Basic Awareness

Online: Tuesday, May 14, 2:00 - 3:00pm

Melissa Collins, Program Manager for Security, Risk and Resilience, will facilitate this live virtual class that will provide basic safety tips to help employees feel informed, alert, and safe as they travel to and from the workplace. Extra time will be allotted for questions and feedback.

Additional Sessions:

Wednesday, June 5 (1-2pm PT)

People Leader Forum - Addressing Conflict in the Workplace

Online: Friday, May 17, 1:00-2:00pm

The People Leader Forum is a monthly opportunity for people managers to connect with one another to develop leadership skills, build community, share best practices, swap strategies for navigating current challenges and learn to better support themselves and their teams.

May 17: Addressing Conflict in the Workplace – Conflict is a normal part of all aspects of life. At this session, UCOP Ombudsperson Callale Concon will share strategies to address and navigate conflicts in the workplace.

2024 PLF Topics:

June 21: Political Acumen as a Skill – Organizational politics can feel like a shadowy monster lurking around every corner or a mask we have to put on to “play the game,” but it doesn’t have to be that way. What if we could shift our mindset to see our strengths and others’ as ways to build political savvy and deeper connections? Join Catherine Burns, Senior Trainer and Content Developer, to explore a skill-based lens on navigating politics with a tool from Mary Ann Rettig-Zucchi from Jupiter Consulting Group and have lively discussion with peers.
August 16: Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
September 20: Reflecting on People Management Biases
October 18: Equity Process Review

Design Thinking to Focus, Collaborate, and Play

Online : Wednesday, May 22, 10:00am - 12:00pm

This hands-on workshop includes an overview of the design thinking process and leaves you equipped with the key design thinking concepts and techniques that you can apply right away. Design Thinking helps build ability to think creatively and work collaboratively to solve significant problems.

Key takeaways

Understand the key aspects of design thinking including working with your stakeholders to co-create innovate solutions together
Get insights into the challenges related to workplace interruptions and solutions to address them
Learn valuable tips and techniques for collaborating and problem solving in the workplace and beyond

PDF Accessibility

Online : Thursday, May 23, 10:00 - 11:30am

This course focuses on Adobe Acrobat and advanced PDF accessibility remediation techniques. You will learn how to edit or enhance accessibility within a PDF file and check PDFs with a screen reader.

UCOP Safety: Active Attacker Training

Online: Thursday, May 23, 1:00 - 2:00pm

This live virtual class will teach participants skills and strategies to respond if exposed to active attacker situations. The course will review real-life incidents and discuss options in the event of potential similar encounters.

Additional Sessions:

Wednesday, June 12 (1-2pm PT)

Communication in the Workplace

Online : Wednesday, June 5, 8:30am-12:30pm

This workshop delivers tools and techniques to enhance your professional presence, emotional intelligence, and offers verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to facilitate effective engagement to make positive professional impact.

Excel PivotTable Techniques

Online: Thursday, June 6, 9:00am - 12:00pm

In this workshop you will learn tips and tricks with Excel PivotTables and how they can be an invaluable tool in helping you analyze your data and present your conclusions in compelling ways. If you have been using PivotTables and are wondering what more you can do with them or are maybe running into obstacles and wishing you can get around them, this workshop will help you unleash the power of PivotTables and get outstanding results.

The concepts and techniques that are covered include:

Getting your data ready for PivotTable Reports and Charts including eliminating duplicates, organizing your data efficiently, and defining proper relationships between data sets.
Using custom functions to perform more advanced analysis and comparisons such as counts, statistical functions, % of row, % of column, and many more.
Filtering your report to display subsets of the data and reveal hidden insights about your customers, product lines, and other subsets of data sets.
Formatting your reports, sorting them automatically, manually, or based on pre-determined sort orders, as well as grouping them based on user-defined groups that reflect your business environment.
Adding formulas to your PivotTables and Charts so they include the calculations and ratios that are specific to your needs.
Incorporate your PivotTables reports and Charts into Word documents and linking them so they stay up-to-date

Mindfulness at UCOP

Online: Friday, June 7, 9:00 - 10:00am

Less stress. Enhanced awareness and focus. Improved health.

These are some of the benefits shown in research studies on mindfulness. In this one-hour workshop, you will learn how to both reduce your stress and increase your effectiveness at work through simple mindfulness techniques. Some highlights:

Research on mindfulness benefits
Mindfulness vs meditation
Simple mindfulness practices at work

Daily Microbreak Stretches at Your Desk

Online: Wednesday, June 12, 1:00-1:45pm

Being in a prolonged sedentary state is not good for your body or your mind. Getting the blood flowing helps you stay fresh with creativity boosts, energy, and helps your body work more efficiently. Simple stretches added in during the day can help you be more productive and reduce the stress on your body.

Additional Classes

UCSB Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Training

Online: , Register for UCSB Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Training on

This certificate course will be facilitated UCSB Lean Six Sigma instructors at no cost to participants. Each cohort will consist of 3- four hour sessions with hands on practice, project simulations, and intersession homework. Attendance at all 3 sessions is mandatory for course completion. At the end of the cohort, Participants will receive a Yellow Belt certificate of completion.

To register login to the UC Learning Center and type UCSB Lean Six Sigma into the search bar at the top right of your screen.

Using the UC Learning Center

Registration: Log in to the UC Learning Center using your UCOP login and password. In the Search box on the left, enter the name of the class you want. Select the session you want, then select the Register box and Submit.

Cancellation: You can cancel your registration through the UC Learning Center. We ask that you cancel 48 hours before the scheduled class time so that others may sign up, or contact the Learning & Development Team.

If you require any assistance or accommodation with finding, registering or attending a class please email the Learning & Development Team.